Horizontal rotating swing.



F. SCHWARZ. HORIZONTAL ROTATING SWING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24, I916- .PatentedJan. 1,1918. manna-snarl.

F. SCHWARZ. HORIZONTAL ROTATING SWING.- APPLICATIONF|LED'AUG.24,'1916- .Patentd Jan. 1,1918;

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HORIZONTAL nornifi'm'e swine.

Specification of Letters fatent.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

Application filed au ust 24, 1916 serial No. 116,688.

To all whomz'fm-dy concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK SoHwARz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berne, in the county of Adams and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horizontal Rotating Swings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved horizontally rotating swing and has as its primary object to provide a device of this character wherein the occupant may manually rotate the swing.

The invention has as a further object to provide a swing of this character employing a horizontally arranged beam rotatably supported intermediate its ends and carrying a passenger seat at one extremity thereof and wherein a counterpoise will be adjustably mounted upon the opposite end of the beam and operable from the said seat to balance the beam under the weight of the occupant.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide an arrangement wherein the beam will be equipped with guard runners adapted for engagement with the ground to prevent undue tilting of the beam when the swing is at rest.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved swing.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view particularly showing the mounting of the swing beam as well as the mounting of the counterpoise upon the said beam.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view particularly showing the arrangement of the crank operable for adjusting the counterpoise to balance the beam, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view more particularly showing the mounting of the sprocket wheel at one end of the beam for receiving the sprocket chain employed for adjusting the counterpoise.

In carrying out the invention, a stand or support 10 is employed which is provided with a head 11. Fixed upon the stand to project above the head thereof is a vertically arranged shaft 12 squared to receive a sprocket wheel 13 resting upon the head with the shaft holding the said wheel against rotation. Upon its upper side, the wheel 13 is provided with an upstanding annular boss 1 1 and rotatably fitted upon the upper end of the shaft to seat against the said boss, is a bearing plate 15 having upstanding flanges 16 at opposite sides thereof. Mounted upon the plate 15 is a horizontally arranged swing beam 17 provided upon its lower edge, at a point substantially midway the ends thereof, with a suitable opening to I rotatably receive the rounded upper terminal of the shaft 12. Upon opposite sides of the shaft opening in the beam, the lower edge thereof is further provided with suitable parallel notches to receive the flanges 16 of the plate 15 with the said flanges thus adapted to hold the beam against longitudinal shifting movement with respect to the shaft andwith the shaft adapted to hold the beam against lateral movement upon the bearing plate 15'.

Connected to the beam 17 adjacent opposite extremities thereof, are depending guide runners 18 and 19 respectively. Each of these runners includes vertical strips or an gle members 20 secured to opposite side faces of the beam 17 to project at their upper extremities a short distance above the beam. Secured to the lower extremities of the said runners is a cross-head 21 to opposite ends of which are swiveled casters or suitable rollers 22 I Slidably mounted upon the beam 17 between the stand 10 and the guide runner 19, is a counterpoise 23 including a suitable depending hanger which, adjacent its upper extremity, freely receives the beam while the lower extremity of the said hanger is bifur cated to form spaced arms 24. Extending between the said arms, are laterally spaced horizontal pins or rods 25 and received upon these rods between said arms, are weights 26 of approved character. As particularly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the weights 26 are notched upon the lower sides thereof to receive the rods 25 and a wedge 27 is preferably employed for tightly clamping the weights upon the hanger. As will be clear, this construction provides an arrangement wherein the weights 26 may be easily removed to vary the weight of the counterpoise.

Extending between the upper extremities of the members 20 of the guide runner 18, is a shaft 28 terminating in a crank 29 and fixed upon the said shaft between the said members, is a sprocket 30. Extending between the upper extremities of the members 20 of the guide runner 19 is a shaft 31 upon which is mounted a sprocket 32. Trained over the sprockets 30 and 32 is a sprocket chain 33, the ends of which are connected to a plate 34 secured to the upper extremity of the hanger of the counterpoise 23. As will be obvious, the counterpoise may thus be adjusted longitudinally upon the beam 17 by rotating the crank 29.

Connected to the extremity of the beam 17 ad'acent the uide runner 18 is a assenger seat 35. This seat may be of any approved design and is preferably provided with a foot-rest 36. Connected to opposite sides of the seat are suitable flexible elements 37 one of which carries a link 38, engaging an eye bolt 39 upon the beam 17 while the other of said flexible elements carries a link 40 to which is freely secured a hook 41 detachably engaging a pin 42 extending outwardly from the adjacent terminal of the beam'17. The seat 35 is thus swingiiigly connected with the beam and, should occasion demand, the hook 41 may be released from the pin 42 so that the adjacent side of the seat may be lowered to permit the easy entrance of a passenger into the seat when the said seat may again be arranged in active position to swingingly support the seat with the said passenger.

Extending forwardly from the beam 17 in front of the seat 35 is a bracket 43 and extending downwardly from this bracket is a shaft 44 which, at its lower extremity, terminates in a crank 45 arranged in easily accessible position to the occupant of the seat 35. Mounted upon the shaft 44 is a sprocket 46 and trained" over this sprocket and the sprocket 13, is a sprocket chain 47. The sprocket wheels 13 and 46 are preferably of a ratio about one to four and it will now be recalled that the sprocket 13 is fixed upon the shaft 12. Consequently, when the crank 45 is turned, the beam 17 will be correspondingly rotated about the shaft 12.

In operation, the passenger preferably first assumes the seat 35 and in this connection, it will be noted that the guide runner 18 is arranged to engage the ground to prevent the undue tilting of the beam 17 under the weight of the passenger. The passenger then operates the crank 29 to adjustably position the counterpoise 23 upon the beam 17 until the beam is balanced upon the stand 10 when both of the guide runners 18 and 19 will then clear the ground. lVith the beam thus balanced, the passenger may then turn the crank 45 to rotate the beam 17 about the shaft 12 and operate the swing. i/Vlien thus in operation, the guide runners l8 and 19 are adapted to. engage with the ground to prevent any undue rocking motion of the beam 17 and when the passenger finally alights, the guide runner 19 will rest upon the ground to support the beam 17 under the weight of the counterpoise 23. In this connection, it is to be noted that for a heavy passenger, additional weights may easily be mounted upon the counterpoise while for a light passenger, the said weights may be as easily removed.

It will therefore be seen that I provide a very simple and efficient construction for the purpose set forth and a swing which may be easily operated by the passenger without discomfort.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

l. A device of the character described including a support, a horizontally swinging beam mounted thereon, guide runners connected to the opposite extremities of the beam and each including spaced bars connected to the said beam, sprockets mounted between the said bars, a passenger seat carried by one extremity of the beam, a counterpoise adjustable upon the opposite extremity of the beam, and means trained over said sprockets and connected to the said counterpoise for adjusting the said counterpoise in opposite directions upon the beam.

1 2, A device of the character described including a support, a horizontal swinging beam. mounted thereon, a passenger seat carried by one extremity of the beam, a counterpoise for the said seat mounted upon the opposite extremity of the beam, and means operable from the seat for adjusting the said counterpoise toward or away from the seat.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FREDERICK SCHWARZ. .[L.S.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

